Automatic gas-valve.



No. 755,255. PATENTBD MAR. 22,1904.

F. WILKE.

AUTOMATIC GAS VALVE. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 30,1903.

N0 MODEL.

Z/Z/Z'ZUESSEE/ I I i UUEZZZUZZ @gdmy E27-mand Wzzi,

l UNITED STATES FERDINAND Patented March 22, 1904.

PATENT OEEICE.

WILKE, OF AKRON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR ONE-HALF TO WILLIAM CHAMP LILLY, OFAKRON, OHIO.V

AUTOMATIC GAS-VALVE.

SPECI'JEICAIION forming part of Letters Patent No. 755,265, dated March22, 1904.

I Application led 'Tune 30, 1903. Serial No. 163,731. (No model.)

Be it known thatLFERDINAND WILKE, a citi- Zen of the United States,Aresiding at Akron, in the county of Summit and State of Ohio,- haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Gas-Valves, ofwhich the following is a-specification.

This invention relates to self-closing valves, and has for its objectthe provision of avalve which will close automatically when the pressureof gas or other fiuid passing therethrough falls to a predeterminedminimum degree.

Further objects are to provide such avalve in a simple and practicableform which can be depended upon to operate properly under any reasonableconditions of service, which will not become unreliable through theeffects of corrosion or deposits of dirt or gummy substances upon itsparts, which is simple to reset and adjust, and which will not leak.

To these ends my inventionconsists in the novel features andcombinations hereinafter described and claimed, an embodiment thereofbeing illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure I is asectional elevation on line I I of Fig. III, showing the valve open.Fig. H is a similar section showing the valve closed, the weight, rods,and valve being shown in outside elevation. Fig. III is a plan view ofthe device with the weight removed. Fig. IV is an end elevation.

The reference-letter a indicates the valveshell, .which is internallyscrew-threaded at both ends or may be ianged, if desired, in the usualway to receive the gas or other Huidpipes. Centrally located in theshell a is a thick wall, in which is avertical taperingbore to receivethe valve-seat b.l Said bore is open at its top and closed'at its'bottom and I'nay itself perform the function of a valve-seat, ifdesired; but I prefer to insert thereina bushing of brass ornon-corrosive metal, as shown at Z). Suitable apertures makecommunication between the inside of the valve-seat and the respectivechambers c and Z of the shell.

Upon the upper side of the shell is formed a circular flange e, which isinternally screwthreaded to receive a bell-shaped cap f, which is madetight against leakage in the usual or any suitable way.. Screw-threadedor otherwise firmly secured to the top of the cap f is a guide-.holderg, provided with two upright andparallel rods or guides and i.

The valvej is a tapered plug, preferably made hollow, and designed tofit the seat Z2 closely when closed. Y The valve-stem is made in twoparts, the lower part Zbeing screwthreaded` or otherwise secured to thevalve and provided with an enlarged or flanged and rounded upperextremity, as shown. The upper partie of the valve-stem is fitted toslide loosely through an aperture in the guideholder g and is turned toa smaller diameter at its lower end to form a shoulder thereon andscrew-threaded into the lower stem Z. A

loose washer 0 is carried upon the stem against the said shoulder,having its under face concaved to fit the upper end of the stem Z, anda-diaphragmm, of rubber or other suitable material, having a centralaperture tting the stem 7c, is securely clamped between the washer 0 andthe stem Z. Said diaphragm isformed to fit the inside surface of the capf, and is preferably reinforced with additional thickness of materialabout its periphg ery and adjacent to its central aperture. The cap f iscounterbored, as shown, both to receive the washer o at its top and toh'old the outer edge of the diaphragm at its bottom. A ring p isinserted in said bottom counterbore against the outer edge of thediaphragm, and screws a, passing therethrough and tapped into the cap,serve to compress and hold the peripheral edge of the diaphragmbetweensaid ring and cap. It will be observed that the valve-chamber g underthe diaphragm is separated from the inlet-chamber oZ when the valve isclosed, but communicates at all times with the outlet-chamber o throughan aperture r.

Adjustably secured at s upon the upper end of the stem 7c by set-screws,as shown, or in any suitable way, is a hub provided with an encirclingrim adapted to engage the long arm of a trigger t, said trigger beingpivoted in a slot in the weight-guide /L and provided with a shorttapered arm standing at an angle to its long arm, as shown. A weight w,preferably of cylindrical shape, is provided with oppositely disposedlongitudinal grooves, adapted to engage and slide upon the guides L andz', and is normally supported by the short arm of the trigger t, asshown in Fig. I.

In the operation of the device the valveshell being connected in a pipe,so that gas or other iiuid under pressure Hows therethrough in thedirection indicated by the arrows, and the valve being raised thepressure exerted by the gas in the chamber q upon the under surface ofthe diaphragm will hold the valve up in its open position. The triggershould then be set with its long arm engaging the rim of thetrigger-holder s and its short arm supporting the weight w, all asplainly shown in Fig. I. It will now be readily understood that so longas the pressure of gas remains above thedegree for which the device isset the valve will remain open, but should the pressure fall below suchpredetermined point or degree the exible diaphragm m cannot sustain theweight of the valve, and the latter will descend until theytrigger-holder s releases the trigger t, whereupon the weight fw willswing the trigger outward, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. II, and dropwith such impact upon the end of the valve-stem la that the remainingpressure of gas under the diaphragm will be overcome and the valve jdriven into its seat with considerable force, as in Fig. II. Thus it isobvious that any dirt, gum, or corrosion which may have been depositedupon the valve or its seat or upon the movable parts of the device willnot prevent the proper closing of the valve, since the momentum of thefalling weight will overcome the obstructive tendency of such deposits,and it is evident that the valve will remain closed until it is desiredto open and reset it.

Moditications may be made in the details of the device disclosed Withoutdeparting from Y the spirit of my invention, provided the principles ofconstruction set forth, respectively, in the following claims areemployed.

I therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as myinvention- 1. In a gas-valve, a suitable shell provided withavalve-seat, a valve therein having a vertical stem projecting out ofsaid shell, a diaphragm attached to and arranged yto uphold the saidvalve-stem while the pressure of the fluid in said shell exceeds thedegree to which the device is set, an unattached weight supported aboveand adapted to fall upon the upper end of said valve-stem, and means forsupporting said weight and releasing the same when said diaphragm issomewhat depressed, substantially as set forth.

2. In a gas-valve, a shell provided with an inlet, an outlet'and avalve-seat, a chamber above said valve-seat communicating with saidoutlet, a valve therein having a vertical stern projecting out of saidchamber, a diaphragm fitted in said chamber attached to said valve-stemand adapted to uphold said valve While the fluid-pressure in saidchamber exceeds the degree to which the device is set, an unattachedWeight supported abo-ve and adapted to fall upon the upper end of saidvalve-stem, and means for supporting said Weight and releasing the samewhen said diaphragm is somewhat depressed, substantially as set forth.

3. In a gas-valve, a shell provided with an inlet, an outlet and avalve-seat, a bell-shaped chamber above said valve-seat communicatingwith said outlet, a valve therein having avertical stem projecting outof said chamber, a flexible diaphragm formed to lit against the innerwalls of said chamber when distended by Huid-pressure and having itscenter closely attached to said valve-stem, suitable means for securingthe periphery of said diaphragm to the bottom of said chamber, a Weightsupported above said valve-stem, and means for supporting and releasingsaid Weight when said diaphragm is somewhat depressed, substantially asset forth.

4. In a Huid-pressure valve, a shell provided with an inlet and anoutlet communicating through a valve-seat, a bell-shaped chamber abovesaid valve-seat communicating with said outlet, a valve therein formedto tit against said valve-seat, a flexible diaphragm iitted to the innerwalls of said chamber when distended by Huid-pressure, and a valve-stemclosely attached to the center of said diaphragm and projectingvertically out of said chamber, suitable means for securing theperiphery of said diaphragm to the bottom of said chamber, a Weightsupported in guides above said valvestem, and means for supporting andreleasing said Weight when said diaphragm is somewhat depressed,substantially as set forth.

5. In a iuid-pressure valve, a suitable shell provided with avalve-seat, a valve therein having a vertical stem projecting out ofsaid shell, a diaphragm secured in saidshell having at its center asuitable attachment to said valve-stem, a guided weight adapted t`o fallupon the end of said valve -stem, suitable guides for saidweight, and atrigger adapted to support said weight and to release the latter upon aslight descent of said valve-stem, substantially as set forth.

6. In a fluid-pressure valve, a suitable shell provided with avalve-seat, a valve therein having a vertical stem-projecting out ofsaid shell, a diaphragm secured in said shell having at its center asuitable attachment to said valve- IOO IIO

stem, a Weight adapted to fall upon the end of said Valve-stem, suitableguides for said Weight, and a trigger pivoted to one of said guideshaving a short arrn to support said Weight and a long arm to engage asuitable holder upon said valve-stem, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I ax my signature, in the presence of tWosubscribing Witnesses, at Cleveland, Ohio, this 26th day of June, 1903.

v A FERDINAND WILKE.

Witnesses: Y

JNO. T. SULLIVAN, JOHN F. STRAUSS.

